1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to new antitartar agents, methods to prepare them, dentifice compositions containing these agents and use of such compositions to control tartar accumulation on teeth.
2. Related Art
A wide variety of materials are known that inhibit crystallization of hydroxyapatite to achieve reduced dental calculus or tartar. These compounds include simple inorganic polyphosphates, organophosphonates and various synthetic anionic polyelectrolytes.
The phosphate groups which are associated with a variety of naturally occurring salivary proteins are also known to bind tightly to enamel surfaces (hydroxyapatite). These have been implicated in the formation of pellicle. Saliva also contains phosphorylated peptides and proteins which act as potent crystal inhibitors. The active phosphate group on these materials is phosphoserine.
Much less research has been carried out on phosphorylated polyhydroxy compounds in conjunction with oral care. One of the earliest patents was British Patent 1,009,957 (Colonial Sugar Refining Co. Ltd.) which suggested derivatives of sugar phosphates for use as cariostatic agents. Related to this disclosure is U.S. Pat. No. 3,437,652 (Campbell et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 3,428,624 (Toy) and U.S. Pat. No. 3,592,770 (Lambris) each of which is also assigned to the Colonial Sugar Refining Co. Ltd. and discuss synthetic routes to phosphorylated carbohydrate derivatives. Improvements in anticaries effectiveness of glycerophosphates in combination with sodium monofluorophosphate were reported in U.S. Pat. No. 4,193,988 (Forward et al.). See also the background art of U.S. Pat. No. 4,726,943 (Klueppel et al.) that discloses fructose-6-phosphate, sorbitol-6-phosphate, glucose-1-phosphate and glucose-6-phosphate as having caries-prophylactic effects and minimal but insufficient activity in inhibiting crystal growth of apatite. Anticalculus compositions have been reported in U.S. Pat. No. 4,826,675 (Gaffar et al.) relating to phosphates of phytic acid.
Evident from the above-noted art is that phosphorylated polyhydroxy compounds have some benefit as anticariogenic agents but that antitartar activity of such materials is low to nonexistent.
Accordingly it is an object of the present invention to provide oral compositions of improved antitartar effectiveness.
A further object of the present invention is to provide antitartar agents having significant antitartar activity and being derived from relatively safe starting materials such as saccharides and polyols.
These and other objects of the present invention will become more apparent in light of the detailed description and examples which follow.